Beam dyeing-machine.



P. M. MORTON.

BEAM DYEING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 24, 1912.

Patented Aug. 11, 1914.

[i SHEETS-SHEET l.

ILE; l

LE'SzE qmifimmoozo` abbr/nuja.

F. M. MORTON.

BEAM DYEING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 24, 1912. 1,107,095, vPatented Aug. 11,1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2,

Patented Aug. 11, 191,4

s SHEETS-SHEET a.

arbo/:Maga

UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEIeE.

FRANK M. MORTON, F PHOENIX, ALABAMA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD TO WILLIAM H.DISMUKE'AND ONE-THIRD TO HENRY L. WOODRUFF, 0F COLUMBUS, GEORGIA.

BEAM DYEING-MACHINE.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 11, 1914.

To all whom it may concern:

'Be it known that I, FRANEM. MoRToN, a citizen of the United States,residing at- Phoenixcity, in the county of Lee and State .of Alabama,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in BeamDyeing-Machines; and I do declare the followin t0 be va full, clear, andexact description o the invention, such as will enable others skilled l@in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

y This invention relates to dyeing, and more especially to stretchers;and its object is to improve the construction and action of acollapsible drum or beam as ordinarily employed for dyeing yarns.

To this end the invention consists first in an improved form .ofconnection between the slat 'and head of said drum or beam so as topermit the yarn from becoming caughtl between such parts and broken inwinding and unwinding, and also to more thoroughly prevent the passageof the dye from the interior to the exterior of the beam, or thereverse, without it having passed through the yarn; and second toimprove the con-- struction of the mechanism for distending theslats-all as hereinafter more fully described and claimed and as shownin the 3@ drawings wherein- Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectionthrough the receptacle which contains this beam (the latter being showntherein in side elevation) and through its hollow trunnion.' Fig. 2 -isa vertical longitudinal section a@ the line 4-4 of Fig. 3. Figs. 5 andare partial Across sections on the lines 5-5 and 6;-6 of Fig. .3. Fig. 7isa perspective detail of a portion of one head of the beam, and partsof the two rings which co-act 4f, therewith to produce the recesses inwhich the extremities of the slats are mounted and Fig. 7 is a detail efa portion of the left hand ring shown 1n Fig. 7, looking at the outeredge thereof. Figs. 8 and 9 are en- 5@ larged perspective details of theextremities of the twotypes of slats employed in this machine.

as is well known te those familiar with this art, the vat or receptacleR in which the yarn en its beam is dyed, may he left open at its top ifthe dye liquor is flowed through the receptacle or allowed to standtherein, or would be closed by a cover C securely fastened to thereceptacle as at F if the dye liquor is supplied through the inlet I andoutlet O under pressure. Said inlet and outlet are typically shownherein for purposes of yillustration only, and it is obvious that thecourse of the liquor through the receptacle could be reversed so thatthe presente-inlet becomes the outlet and vice versa. Fig. 1 alsoillustrates a hollow trunnion T extending from one end of the drum orbeam forming the subject matter of this invention, through a bearing Bwith suitable stuifin box in one. end or head of the receptac e R, andthe beam is revolved by rotatmg this trunnion in any suitable way as bymeans of a gearG and worm W shown in Fig. 1. No claim is made to theparts thus far described.

The beam in the present instance comprises a main shaft 1 having reducedends forming shoulders 2 and lextended lthence outward into trunnions 4,and against said shoulders by nuts 3 or otherwise are secured the heads5 and 7, the latter by preference having a slotted ange 16 which may besecured as by bolts 15 to a similar flange at the inner end of thehollow trunnion T. At the other end of the shaft beyond the head 5, acollar held on the left trunnion 4 by a set screw 8 coacts with the nut3 to retain a hand wheel forming part of the distending mechanism to bedescribed below. This trunnion may well besupported on a cross bar 9which in turn is movably -and removably supported within the receptacleR by cleats lO'along the sides ofthe latter; and for centering thetrunnion 4 in axial alinement' with the center of the hollow trunnion T,I preferably employ a tubular bearing 11 having an enlarged head 12 atits outer endy removably fitting, in a notched bracket 13 which iscarried within the left hund head of the receptacle R as shown inFig. 1. When this beam is to be removed from said receptacle, it is onlynecessary to disengage the bolts 15 or other fastening means at theright end of the beam to free it from the hollow trunnion T, after whichthe left hand trunnion 4 can be pushed farther into the bearil'ig 11(the cross bar 9 `sliding on the cleats 10\ until the right handtrunnion is withdrawn from said hollow trunnion T, and then the entirebeam and its bearing 11 can be lifted out of the open top of the recetacle and carried to the warper or other p ace where the yarn is to betreated. The hand wheel can go with the'beam if one such wheel beprovided for each beam possessed by the factory, and if not the collarand handwheel can be removed from the left trunnion 4 and placed on thecorresponding trunnion of the new beam which replaces the one removedfrom the receptacle. In any event .I would replace the bearing 11 whenthe new beam 1s ut in. v

The body of the beam is made up of two series of slats iwhich arealternated with each other andspaeed slightly as best seen in Figs. 4, 5and 6. All these slats have rectangular bodies and are of a lengthsuiiicient to reach from one head 5 to the other head 7, and in order todistinguish the slats I will refer to themas movable and fixedrespectively. The former isshown in Fig. l8 at 18-the latter in Fig. 9at 19. Each movable slat has a tenon 17 formed on its end by notchingout both corners of the same so that the tenon projects from the end ata point nearly midway between the outer and inner edges of this slat.The fixed slat 19 is notched out at 20 at its outer corner only and toadepth vlongitudinally of the Slat somewhat greater than the notches ofthe movable slat 18, so that the lixed slat has at each extremity whatmight be called a tongue 20. It is the purpose ofthe present invention,as one of its principal objects, to provide means for removablyconnecting the extremities of both kinds of slats with both' heads ofthe beam in such manner that the 40 fixed slats shall have nomovementwhen they are so 'connected but the movable slats may moveradially outward and inward under the influence of an expander yet to bedescribed; and the primary objects sought to be obtained by the peculiarform of connection between said slats and heads is to prevent the yarnfrom getting over and becoming caught behind the extremities of theslats or any part of the fastening means when the beam is. collapsed toreduce the tension on the yarn wound thereon, and furthermore in so :taras possible to render .the connect-ion between both kinds of slats andthe heads Huid-tight in order that the dye liquor may not pass aroundthe ends of the slats and will therefore be forced to pass through theyarn in either direction. The details of this connection are ratherintricate in the present embodiment of the invention and will now bedescribed.

As seen in Fig. 7, the inner face of each head is provided with achannel 21 concentric with its axis, and the radially outer wall oit'the channel is provided with a row of teeth 22. Into this channel aremovably and removably inserted the outer edges of several ring-sections23-four are employed in the present instance, and of them three areillustrated in edge elevation in Fig. 6. The thickness (which istheradial dimension) of each section is slightly less than the height(which is the radial dimension) of the channel 21,- so that the sectionhas some little play therein; and its radially and longitudinally outercorner is notched at intervals to produce teeth 24 corresponding withthe teeth 22 within the channel 21. Attention is directed to the factthat the spaces between the teeth of both these sets are wider than thewidth of the teeth themselves, with the result that the ring-section hassome play circumferentially of the head, or in other wordslongitudinally of the channel 21. Attention is also directed to the factthat the notches 25 producing the teeth 24 do not extend completelythrough the ring section 23 (as best seen in Fig. 7a) and therefore saidsection has a continuous and unbroken web 26 projecting outward into thechannel 21. Yet this web is not so thick as the'height of said channelbelow or inside the end of its teeth 22; and it results that the entiresection 23 has some considerable play within the channel radially andcircumferentially of the beam. The meeting endsl of the sections 23 arenotched out as best seen at 27 in Fig. 6 so that they will overlapwhether the sections are drawn inward toward the axis or pressed outwardaway from it. Finally, the longitudinally inner edges of the ringsections are provided with notches 28 spaced quite some distance apartand which are to receive the extremities of the movable slats 18 in amanner yet tobe described. While the other ring 33 may be made insections I prefer for sake of simplicity to make it in one piece andsecure it to the inner tace of the head as by bolts 32 best seen inFigs. 3 and 6. For this purpose its radially inner edge is flat and liesagainst the.

'flat inner face of the head 5 in Fig. 7, at Vsomedistance inside thechannel 21 as the boltholes 31 in this ring and the head will indicate.From said flat portion of the ring 33 which extends to the angle 34(which, when the parts are assembled, will stand just inside the channel21), the ring turns at righta-ngles longitudinally of the beam andtoward the center ot the length of the latter into what might be calleda foot 35 which will underlie the longitudinally inner edge' of the ringsections 23, and the extremity of the foot is then continued radiallvoutward behind said ring sections into what might be called a toe 3G;whereby the cross section ofthe entire ring 33 presents a double angleas indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 3 and best shown in full lines inFig. 7. The foot of the ring thus forms a. bracket underlying the ringsections 23 and assisting 1the channel 21 in supporting them, while thetoe of the ring forms a flange along the edge of the bracket to hold thering sections 23 thereon. Finally the outer portion of the ring 33 isprovided with radial openings of two kinds alternating with each other,and all beginning from a point well within the fiat portion of the ring.Those numbered 38 are notches which are carried through the foot and toeand disposed at points opposite the notches 28 in the ring sections 23,and these are to receive the tenons 17 at the extremities of the movableslats 18. The other openings numbered 39 are carried outward through thefoot 35 and into the toe 3G but not through the radially outer edge ofthe latter, and these constitute sockets to receive the tongues 20 atthe extremities of the fixed slats 19.

i llt will thus be seen that the ring member 33 has when viewed from oneside substantially U-shaped elements which receive and rigidly hold thefixed slats 19 and also serve as spacers and guides for the movableslats 18. l

ln assembling the parts as thus constructed, the ring sections 23 areinserted in the channels 21 in both heads 5l and 7, and the tworing-shaped brackets 33 brought into place and bolted to said heads asat 32; or, if the ring-sections are short enough, the brackets can bebolted in place first and the ring-sections dropped into position last.In either event their notched-out overlapping ends 27 will engage eachother as seen in Fig. 6 and their notches 28 will come opposite thenotches 38 in the rings 33. Meanwhile the fixed slats 19 will have beenput into place with their htongues 20 engaged in the sockets 39 at whichtime their extremities 19 will contact with the inner faces of the headsand 7 as the depth of their' outer corner notches permit and. theseslats are thereby held rigidly or tixedly between the two heads.Meanwhile also, the movable slats 18 will have been put in place in theintervening notches 38 in thc ring 33, through which their bodies willextend because their corner notches 17 are not as deep asthe cornernotches 20' of the fixedv slats; and the result will be that theextremities 18 of the movable slats 18 will also rest against the innerfaces of the heads 5 and 7 while their wider outer shoulders 17 willrest in the notches 28 of the ring sections 23 and their narrower innershoulders 18 will overlie the flat bodies 33 of the bracket members.Thereby is produced a rigid drum composed of the two heads and theseries of fixed slats rigidly although detachably connected therewith,and an cxpansible and collapsible cage composed of the movable slatsalternately interposed between the fixed slats and slidably supported attheir extremities by said heads. iVhen the slats of this cage are movedoutward their tenons '17 carry loosely engaging and overlapping thering-sections Q3 with them, even beyond the periphery of the xed slatsand brackets constituting the rigid drum, and this is permitted by thefact that the thickness of the ring sections 23 is less than the heightof the channel 21-hence the cage can be expanded to acircumferencegreater than that of the fixed or rigid drum. When saidslats are moved or permitted to move inward, the ring-sections followthem until the latter rest on the brackets and then the tenons 17 leavethe inner faces of said sections and move yet farther inward as thedepth of the notches 38 permit-hence said cage may be collapsed to asmaller circumference than that of the rigid drunn But in theirmovements outward or inward their extremities 18 slide in close contactwith the inner faces of the heads 5 and 7, and their side faces slide inclose contact with the side walls of the notches 38, while the ringsections during their movements inward and outward slide with theirouter edges in close contact with the bottom of the channels 21 andtheir inner edges in close contact with the toes 3G of the brackettheiroverlapping ends Q7 sliding in close contact with each other as thisring grows or decreases in size. In fact, the sections might be made offlexible material so that they wouldfbend automatically as necessary topreserve the shape of this composite expansible ring whatever its size.The result willbe, as proven by experiment, that little or none of thedye liquor will pass around the ends of the slats and between the slatsand ring, and hence substantially all of it will be forced through theyarn which is wound on the beam or drum; and absolutely not a strand ofthis yarn can become entangled between the ring sections and the movableslat/s or between said sections and the heads of the drum. Therefore oneobject of my invention is carried out by this construction. It' to benoted that the inter-meshing of the parts 22 and 24 and of the ends ofthe slats with rings, will effectively prevent the yarn from being caught between such parts and broken as it is wound or unwound. I do notwish to be limited to the'number, material, or exact shape of theseslats, although by preference I would dispose them rather closetogether; nor do I limit myself to the specific form of rings shown anddescribed. lt follows that when the cage is expanded and the yarn iswound thereon, its strands will not touch the fixed .slats 19 at all;afterward if it is desired to reduce the pressure of the yarn upon thecage, the movable slats can be collapsed to just such extent that thecage has thefsame circumference as docs the fixed drum; and still laterif it be desired to move the slats 18 of the cage entirely out ofcontact with the inner convolutions of the yarn wound thereon, they canbe retracted still farther so that the yarn will thereafter` be held onthe fixed slats alone.

The means for effecting the forcible distention of the movable slats andpermitting their automatic contraction or collapse will now bedescribed.

The expanding or distending'mechanism preferably employed in conjunctionwith the structure above described is perhaps best illustrated in Figs.2 and 3. Secured Within the movablel slats 18 at points throughout theirlength are wedges 40 whose inclined faces are adapted to make contactwiththe'bottom of radial notches 41 formed in spiders or wheels 42 whosehubs 43 areeslidably mounted on the main shaft 1, and these Wheels areconnected in a gang by tie rods 44 as shown.v The endmost Wheel 45 ofthe gang or group is formed with integral nuts 46 in its spokes engagedby screws 47 which are rotatably mounted as at 48 through the heads ofthe beam orj drum, and each screw has an enlarged cylindrical head 49rotating within a stuing box 50, projecting beyond the head 5 andprovided with gear teeth 51. In Figs. 3 and 4/ I have'showntwo of saidscrews, one above and the other below the main shaft l and its nuts 3,but it is obvious that more than two could be employed. `The hand wheel52 (above refered to) has an internal gear ring 53 on its inner side,whose teeth engage those numbered 51 on the screw-heads, and it followsthat when this hand wheel is turned in the proper direction the screwswill be simultaneously rotated and their threads will move the endmostwheel 45 and-through the tie rods 44-the other wheels of the gang sothat the entire distending mechanism will be actuated. As seen in Fig.2, when this distender is moved to the left, the wedges 40 cause themovable slats 18 to expand as above described; Whereas, when the gang ofwheels is moved to theV right, the wedges 40 permit the movable slats 18to collapse as also above described. I iind in use that means forcontracting the movable slats need not necessarily be provided, as thenatural shrinkage of the yarn and its tension when wound around thefixed slats will be sufficient to cause the movable slats to contractwhen the support is withdrawn from behind or inside their wedges 40. Asabove suggested, there may be a handwheel for eac-h beam, but if therebe but one handwheel for all the beams in the plant, it will benecessary to remove this handwheel from the lefthand trunnion 4 when `abeam is taken from the receptacle R to the warper or elsewhere,immediately placing the handwheel on the corresponding trunnion of thebeam next put into this receptacle, and locking it in place by thecollar 6 and set screw 8 or other means which are provided for thispurpose. With respect to this feature of my invention, also, I do notwish to be limited to the sizes, materials, or exact details of parts asset forth and as illustrated in the drawings herewith. In fact, someother specific form of distcnding mechanism might be employed inconnection with the specific connection between the various slats andthe drum-heads as above described, or conversely the distendingmechanism might be used on some other drum. But I find that where powerfrom the handwheel is conveyed from the exterior of the drum or beam tothe moving parts within it through two or more screws which rotate instuffing boxes, through one of its heads, there is extremely littleleakage. if any at this point; and, as it is one of the principalobjects of the present invention to avoid leakage as far as possible, itwill be seen that the distending mechanism herein described coperatesnicely with the other feature of this invention.

It will not be necessary for the purpose of this specification to gointo the details of the process of Winding, dyeing, and unwinding theya'rn, further than to say that some mechanism must be provided forrotating the beam within the receptacle R,

and for this purpose I have shown the worm gear G and worm W in Fig. 1simply as illustrative of one of many means which might be employed.

What I claim as new is:

1. In a collapsible beam of the character set forth, the combinationwith the heads, a series ofixed slats rigidly connecting them, a secondseries of slats movably mounted between said heads, a shaft, and meansfor distending the movable slats including an element movablelongitudinally upon the shaft; of a plurality of screws rotatablymounted through one of the heads with their Shanks engaging threadedopenings in said element, and means for tur-ning said screws in unison.

2. A beam of the character set forth comprising a drum made up of headsand` slats xedly connecting them, a cage made up of a series of slatsinterposed between the fixed slats and movably mounted in said heads,and means for distending the movable slats at will.

3. A beam of the character set forth comprising a drum made up of headsand slats fixedly connecting them, a cage made up of a series ot' slatsinterposed between the'ixed slats and movably mounted in said heads,land means for expanding said cage by distending its slats so that thecircumference of the cage will be greater than that of the drum, or forcontracting said cage by col sections, and slats lapsing its slats sothat the circumference of the cage will be smaller than that of the`drum. I

4. A beam of the. character described comprising two heads whereof eachhas anfinternal annular channel with teeth projecting radiall inwardfrom its outer wall, a 'ring made 1n sections having lapping meetingends, and their outer edges toothed to engage the teeth within saidchannel and their inner edges notched at intervals, a ring-shapedbracket secured to the inner face of the head and having notchesopposite those in said i -made in sections having lapping meeting endsand their outer edges toothed to engage the4 teeth within said channeland their inner edges notched at intervals, a ring secured to the innerface of said head and having its body bent inward into a foot underlyingsaid ring sections and thence radially outward into a toeextending-across the inner edge of said sections, said foot and toehaving notches registering with those'in said whose extremities aremovably mounted in said notches.-

6. A beam of the character described comprising two heads whereof eachhas an internal annular channel with teeth projecting radially inwardvfrom its outer wall, a ring made in sections having lapping meeting endsand their outer edges toothed to engage the teeth within said channeland their innerr edges notched at intervals, a ring secured to the innerface of said head andhaving its body bent inward into a foot underlyingsaid ring sections and thence radially outward into a toeextending'across the inner `edge of said sections, said foot and toehaving notches registering with those in said 'sections andinterposed/sockets, a series of movable slats whose extremities passthrough said notches inthe ring and loosely engage those in thesections, and 'a series of fixed slats having tongues at their'extremi-r ties rigidly engaging said sockets.

7 A beam of the character described comprising two heads whereof eachhas an in Iterna] annular channel with teethprojecting radiallv inwardfromitsouterwall, a ring made in sections having lapping meeting c endsand their outer edges toothed to engage the teeth within said channeland t `eir inner edges notched at intervals, a ring, cured to the inner-fa'ce of said head and having its `body bent inward into a footunderlying said ring sections and thence radially outward into a toeextending across the inner edgey of said sections, lsaid foot and toehaving notches re istering with those in said sections and also avinginterposed sockets, a series of movable slats havingtenons at theirextremities, their bodies passing through the notches in said ring andtheir tenons standing radially inside' said. ring sections, and a seriesof fixed vslats having tongues at their extremities xedly mounted insaid sockets. y

8. A beam of the character described comprising two heads whereof eachhas an internal annular channel, a ring made in sections having theirouter edges within said channel and their inner edges notched 'atintervals, a ring secured to the inner face of said head and having itsbody bent inward into a foot underlying said ring sections and thenceradially outward into a toe extending across the inner edge of saidsections, said foot and toe having notches registering with those insaid sections and interposed sockets, a series of movable slats whoseextremities pass through said notches i`n the ring and loosely engagethose in the sections, and a havin@ interposed sockets, a series ofmovable svats having tenons at their extremities, their bodies passingthrough the notches in said bracket and theirtenons standing radiallyinside said ring sections, and a series of fixed slats having tong-uesat their extremities xedly mounted in said'sockets.

10'. A beam of the character set forth, comprising a drum made up ofheads and fixed slats between them, a cagemade up of a series ofradially movable slats disposed between said fixed slats, means fordistending the movable slats, and intermeshingconnetions between theends ofthe movable slats and said heads.

11. A beam of the character set forth, comprising a drum made up ofheads and fixed slats between them, a cage made up of a vseries, ofradially movable slats disposed beends of the movable slats andintermeshing connections between the movable slats and said expansiblerings.

13. A beam of the character set forth comprising heads, radially movableslats, means for actuating said slats, expanding rings at the ends ofthe slats and intermesh- Ving connections between said rings and theheads.

14. A beam of the character set forth comprising heads, radially movableslats, means for actuating said slats, expanding rings at the ends ofsaid slats and intermeshing connections between said rings and slats.

15. A beam of the character set forth comprising heads, radially movableslats, means for actuating said slats, expanding rings at the ends ofsaid slats, intermeshing connections between said rings and sl'ats andintermeshingconnections between said rings and heads. y

16. A beam of the character set forth comprising two heads whereof eachhas an internal annular channel formed in one wall with teeth, anexpansible ring to enter each channel and having teeth to intermesh withthe teeth in the latter, radially movable slats inclosed by said ringsand means for moving the slats.

17. A beam of the character described y comprising heads, radiallymovable slats between said heads and engaged with said ele- Y ments,movable slats arranged between said elements and engaged with thenotches in said expansible rings, and means for actuating the movabaleslats.

18. A beam of the character described comprising two heads whereof eachhas an internal annular channel, a ring made in sections having theirouter edges engaging said channel and their inner edges notched atintervals, a ring-shaped bracket secured to the inner face of the headand having notches opposite those in said ring sections, and slatsextending from one head to the other and having their extremitiesmovably mounted in said notches.

19. A beam of the character described comprising two heads whereof eachhas an internal annular channel, a ring made in sections having theirouter edges engaging said channel and their inner edges notched atintervals, a ring-shaped bracket secured to the inner face of said headand having its body bent inward into a foot underlying said ringsections and thence radially outward into a toe extending across theinner edge of said sections, sald foot and toe having notchesregisterinur with those in said sections, and slats whose extremitiesare movably mounted in said notches.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

y FRANK M. MORTON. Witnesses:

E. S. KIMBAUGH, GEO. A. Hays.

